Every year Microsoft announces the latest updates in the Dynamics 365 and Power Platform   to its customers and wider stakeholders. There are normally two releases per year which consist of new innovations across the sphere, to support businesses in the attainment of optimal results. In this blog, we will provide you with a summary of the 2023 release wave 2 notes and the various functionalities that will be available to you.

2023 release wave 2 breakdown_

The release notes are usually brought out before the releases are deployed. They contain all of the different features and their corresponding availability dates. The actual changes are then rolled out from October 2023 to March 2024.

Tristan Shortland, our Chief Innovation Officer shares his take on the 2023 release wave 2 Dynamics 365 and Power Platform announcements in this video.

Below, we will cover key areas which you need to know for business improvement and growth.

Power Platform wave release highlights_

Power BI updates

Power BI consists of a collection of software services, apps and connectors that come together to help businesses in processing unrelated sources of data into visually immersive insights.

An upcoming feature that stood out to us is the new loop component available in Power BI. This loop component can be embedded across the Microsoft 365 suite of applications and will support with document sharing. It allows users to easily copy charts and information using right-click and copy actions, from Power BI into other Microsoft 365 documents and applications while maintaining the interactivity of the software.

Modern fluent design elements in PowerApps

PowerApps are a suite of applications, services and a data platform which provides users with access to a rapid application development environment to support in the building of custom applications.

In line with Microsoft’s move to a modern user interface across their suite of tools, Microsoft has introduced new UI which is set to enhance the appearance of PowerApps. The implementation of Microsoft’s modern fluent design systems into the application will facilitate a more accessible and engaging user interface for the improvement of overall performance and usability across Power Apps, and ultimately app development.

Copilot and Power Pages integration

Microsoft Power Pages is a secure application which enables teams to create professional websites and external portals at a reduced cost. Power Pages also allow an organisation to seamlessly connect to data housed across the Data Verse, Azure and across Microsoft 365.

Copilot, the smart AI tool, which is making waves across various industries, has now been introduced into Power Pages to assist with the creation of landing pages and websites. This integration is slated to enhance site building for developers and low-code makers. It will connect users to data easily, in addition to providing functionalities which will enhance the overall built design experience.

Power Virtual Agents generative answers

Microsoft Power Virtual Agents is part of the Power Platform suite and enables users to create adaptable AI chatbots for a boost in productivity in organisations.

A key highlight from the 2023 Release Wave 2 announcements is the generative answers functionality within Power Virtual Agents. This comprises of bots that incorporate natural language for the provision of quick and comprehensive responses to end-users. It enables developers to point bots to a set of content without the need to create any topics. Using generative AI, the bots can then answer questions using information from SharePoint, related to the set topics.

Low-code plugins

As part of the 2023 release wave 2 announcements, Microsoft will be introducing low-code plugins into the Power Platform. Plugins are made up of code that run on business logic and are attached to events in Dynamics. Using low-code, Power Fx expressions can be used to define what the plugins will do. These low-code tools support businesses in replacing legacy workflows and processes, for increased efficiency. 

Multiple related records

Another useful feature which will be available in Microsoft Power Platform is the ability for users to associate activities with multiple related records. Whereas previously, team members could only be assigned to a single activity, this new functionality will allow for opportunities and cases to be related to different records.

AI Builder updates on Power Platform

AI Builder is made up of a set of tools within Power Platform that allows developers to build AI models from templates. With the latest wave of features, it will enable makers to easily process both structured and unstructured documents. It assists with the easy identification of information using intelligent AI models.

Dynamics 365 wave release highlights_

Dynamics 365 Marketing

Dynamics 365 Marketing is an application which empowers marketing teams with tools for the automation of marketing processes.

Copilot will also be added to Dynamics 365 Marketing to empower marketers in creating new and personalised experiences. The evolving AI tool will support you in producing images, content, emails and interactive layouts for campaigns. Copilot is a useful tool which will improve upon the productivity of marketers across the board.

Most of the Copilot features will be in preview in August and September, with general availability in October and November.

Dynamics 365 Sales

Dynamics 365 Sales is a comprehensive sales application which gives sellers data-backed insights for the seamless closing of deals. It also supports users in strengthening customer relationships.

Empowering sellers within organisations to achieve maximum results has become important – now more than ever – as the needs of customers are evolving and spending habits have changed. Microsoft will be rolling out Copilot in Dynamics 365 Sales to assist businesses in managing sales processes.

It will allow users to easily assign and monitor leads, summarise data and perform other key actions. Additionally, sellers will have the opportunity to create AI generated proposals, meeting preps and account summaries.

Dynamics 365 Customer Service 

Microsoft Dynamics 365 Customer Service uses built-in intelligence to facilitate the delivery of personalised services, complex workflow and support services to clientele.

There will be enhancements in Dynamics 365 Customer Service including the introduction of an omni-channel customer service platform. Users will be able to make use of the native voice channel to route calls to agents. The user interface for the voice channel has also been updated with intuitive controls for transferring calls to increase productivity. There will also be Copilot capabilities available to support agents to provide a more personalised service to customers.

Unification of Dynamics 365 Marketing and Dynamics 365 Customer Insights

Microsoft has also announced that as of 1st September, 2023, these two applications will be integrated into a single platform. The combined product offering will be referred to as Dynamics 365 Customer Insights.

According to Microsoft, they will be combining Dynamics 365 Marketing and Dynamics 365 Customer Insights to provide marketing teams with the ability to create more personalised experiences to prospects, leads and customers via a simple, low-priced offering.

This move will see the powerful data elements of Customer Insights neatly integrated into marketing tools to provide a single view of customer and lead data in one source. Ultimately enabling marketers to make more informed decisions.

As of 1st September, 2023, Dynamics 365 Marketing will transition to focus on real-time marketing features only.

Infinity Group is here to support you.

To tap into all the new features we’ve spoken about, you can contact our team of experienced consultants who will provide comprehensive guidance on how you can fully benefit from the 2023 release wave 2 announcements.